Releasing device for draw-lines.



No. 684,302. Patented Oct. 8, I901.

W. M. PARRISH.

BELEASING nevscs FOR DRAW LINES.

(Application filed Aug. 1, 1900.) (No Model.)

TH: mums PETERS w. PHOTO-LUNG. wnsumc mu n. a:v

NITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

YVALTER M. PARRISII, OF VIOKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

RELEASING DEVICE FOR DRAW-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,302, dated October 8, 1901.

Application filed August 1, 1900. Serial No. 25,542. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER M. PARRISH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vicksburg, in the county of Warren, State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Releasing Device for Draw-Lines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a releasing device for draw-lines which are employed in hauling or moving loads, implements, or burdens, my purpose being to cushion the shock in case obstructions are met with, and in case the obstruction is of a serious nature to automatically disconnect the draw-line from the burden. While this invention is adapted for general purposes of this nature, it is especially adapted for use in connection with an instrument for making observations under water, where care to guard against damage is very essential.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument, showing the releasing device attached to it near the lower end and being in section on line 6 c in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is an upper end view of the draw-line-releasing device looking from the right.

Referring to the parts of the drawings pointed out by numerals, 5 is the tubular tapered body of the instrument for viewing objects under the surface of the water. When submerged, the upper end 6 will be above the surface, and as the instrument is provided with a mirror and lenses (not here shown) by placing the eye to said upper end 6 the objects in front of the lower end 7 can be seen. To the lower end of the body 5 is attached in a swiveled manner a tubular right-angled e1- bow 8-, so as to be turned in different directions, according to the location of the objects under water to be observed.

The draw-line 15 is here shown broken, but in use would extend upward at an oblique angle to the shore, dock, or vessel-deck, as the case might be, and by pulling or drawing on it the instrument is changed from one location to another. Between this draw-line and the instrument is the draw-line-releasing device, attached near the lower end of the body 5 at 23. The draw-line 15 is attached to the upper end of bar 17. This bar 17 is provided with a notch 20 on each of its two edges, about centrally between its two ends. The upper end of bar 17 extends a little through the hole 18 of the head-plate 19. At 21 is the foot plate. Both of these plates 19 and 21 are circular in form, as in Fig. 2. To the headplate 19, on one side, a cord or cable 22 is attached, which passes loosely through a hole 23 of the foot-plate on the same side of througheye 23' and back up on the other side through another hole 23 and attached to the headplate 19. Spring trip-bars 24-one on each side of bar 17 and resting against its edgesare attached to the under side of the headplate 19. Dogs 18, which engage the notches 20, are attached to the upper side of the footplate 21. The dogs 18 may or may not be of elastic metal; but their pressure to engage the notches 20 is reinforced by the spring-bars 25, which are attached to the upper side of the foot-plate 21, and their free ends rest against the dogs 18. Between the head-plate 19 and foot-plate 21 is a spring 26, which surrounds the dogs 18, spring-bars 25, bar 17, and the spring trip-bars 24..

The operation is as follows: When drawing or pulling on the draw-line to change the location of the instrument or other burden or load, if obstructions are met with the spring 26 compresses, thus cushioning the shock, and if serious obstruction is met the compression of said spring 26 continues until the ends of the spring trip-bars catch under the dogs 18, which throw said dogs out of the notches 20, freeing the bar 17 and allowing it to draw out of the head-plate 19, thus detaching the draw-line 15 entirely from the instrument and avoiding damage. When the invention is used for other purposes, the draw-line 15 might be discarded and a clevis or some suitable device substituted. When the release of the bar 17 takes place, the spring 26 as- 'sumes its normal expanded condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

A draw-line-releasing device consisting of a head-plate having a central hole, a notched bar loosely passed through said hole, spring trip-bars attached to said head-plate, one on each side of the notched bar, spring-reinforced dogs one on each side of the notched I to the object to be drawn, substantially as set to:

bar and detachably engaging the notches of said notched bar, a foot-plate to which said dogs are attached, a spring between the headplate and foot-plate and surrounding the notched bar, the spring-reinforced dogs, and

the spring trip-bars, and a cord, cable or the like attached to the head plate, passing loosely through holes in the foot and attached forth. 7

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two wit-- nesses. WALTER M. PARRISIL 'Witnessesi W. H. MCOULLOOH, WM. L. JOHNSON, 

